Beauty Shopping Gets A Makeover with AR Makeup Try-on Tools

You must have seen customers standing in front of your showroom’s mirror, worrying about which foundation shade would make their cheeks glow or whether they should put on bold, smokey eyes for special occasions. Most women have been there, struggling with making correct beauty product choices.

But fret not, as now you have a ground-breaking technology at your disposal: virtual makeup try-on solutions driven by augmented reality (AR).

AR – once confined to space exploration and gaming – has found a much-needed intersection with the cosmetics & beauty industry. Virtual makeup try-on tools are the latest state-of-the-art creation born out of this fusion, revolutionising 3 out of 5 global beauty brands.

Coupled with artificial intelligence (AI), AR-enabled virtual makeup try on let shoppers experiment with an endless array of makeup products, turning their faces into a canvas of possibilities. These clever technologies help cosmetics brands decode customers' needs and wants exactly. All these in a matter of seconds. Genius, right?

This article will take you through the immersive landscape of virtual makeup try-ons, digging into their mechanics and impacts on beauty shopping experiences.

The Technology Behind Virtual Makeup Try-Ons

Virtual beauty try-on tools work through a fascinating interplay of cutting-edge technologies to create realistic and interactive shopping experiences:

Computer Vision: It analyses and interprets visual input from the users’ camera feed – either selfies or live video streams. This is crucial to detect facial features and understand the face’s 3D structure.

Facial Recognition & Tracking: Identify users’ facial features in real-time, including contour, complexion, eyes, nose, and mouth. The algorithms use this information to map and track the movement of these features to place virtual beauty products on users’ faces accurately.

3D Modelling: Virtual makeup try-ons build lifelike 3D digital representations of users’ faces. This helps shoppers understand how a particular makeup product would look on them in real.

Augmented Reality: Superimposes virtual makeup elements, such as eyeliners, lipsticks, and eyeshadows, onto the real-world view captured through the user’s mobile camera.

Skin Tone Analysis: Examines users’ skin tones to recommend suitable makeup shades that complement their complexions.

Physical Rendering: Quicky and accurately provides realistic representations of beauty formulations in various light conditions based on reflections, shadows, and material properties.

Machine Learning: Machine learning (ML) algorithms improve the accuracy and personalisation of virtual makeup try-on apps. These algorithms learn from user preferences and adapt recommendations over time.

Benefits of AR Beauty Try-Ons For Users

Turn Doubts into Confidence During Product Selection

Most shoppers will relate to this – that stunning lipstick shade that caught their eyes at a cosmetics store, only to disappoint when applied. Not to mention the months spent wearing the wrong eyeliner shade because they already purchased it.

A patch test does not offer the same results as trying on the actual product. This existing gap between imagination and reality frustrates both brands and customers. Plus, let’s not forget how irritating it is when shoppers have to try on multiple colours/shades of a beauty product to find the perfect one.

AR tools are a true game-changer when it comes to testing cosmetic formulations. For instance, virtual lipstick try-ons let customers test dozens of lipstick shades on the fly and check how well each of them suits their unique complexion. No need to waste precious time and hard-earned money on swatches and guesswork.

As such, AR makeup try-on tools boost shoppers’ confidence by notches when buying beauty products that suit their style and preferences.

No More Frequent In-store Trips

Imagine this: your customers are virtually experimenting with multiple foundation shades and lipstick hues – all while sitting on their couches. The most action required is a few smartphone taps or mouse clicks. AR makeover tools have made this possible, transforming how people shop for cosmetics and beauty.

For instance, virtual foundation try-ons aim to help customers who pick a particular foundation shade for trial. Now, all they have to do is point their mobile cameras at their faces, and their device screens will flash the virtual product.

The most notable part is that shoppers do not need to leave the comfort of their homes or navigate heavy traffic to visit a brick-and-mortar store only to find that the beauty product they want is out of stock or that their shade is unavailable.

Personalised Shopping Experiences

Personalisation lies at the heart of a comprehensive customer experience. Consider that 8 out of 10 frequent shoppers buy from brands that personalise their experience. So, it is clear that modern customers do not like being treated as a mere number. They want to feel as though their purchase is special and crucial to the business.

One of the key benefits of AR makeup try-on solutions is their ability to sift through customer data, preferences, and shopping history to offer personalized product recommendations. Virtual eyeliner try-ons, for instance, guide shoppers through their shopping journeys, offering suggestions tailored to their face shapes, skin tones, and colouration preferences.

This not only saves shoppers time and effort in finding the appropriate makeup products but also improves the odds of conversion and customer satisfaction.

No Rush and Crowds

No one likes crowded stores while shopping, especially when purchasing beauty products. Additionally, spending hours exploring products offline is challenging for customers and brands alike.

AR tools, such as virtual eyeshadow try-ons, let shoppers spend as much time as they want while choosing their favourite colour combinations. These immersive apps keep customers from crowded areas, in-store rush during peak shopping hours, and those irritating makeup testers.

Casting the Makeup Magic Spell

AR-powered makeup try-on tools represent a significant technological leap in the beauty industry. With traditional sampling and swatching taking a back seat, these solutions, complemented with AI, enable brands to reinvent how customers explore and purchase beauty products.

Integrating virtual beauty try-ons not only pushes your brand to the leading edge but also drives you to break new grounds in customer engagement and satisfaction.

That said, embracing these solutions is not just a digital step but a commitment to offering a personalised, engaging, and empowering beauty shopping journey. Moreover, with 92% of Gen Zers open to using AR apps for shopping, brands must leverage AR-led makeup try-ons to attract and retain the most tech-savvy population.

Suggested Read: Technology Meets Skincare